Use OfficeConnect on Mac

Install and use OfficeConnect on a Mac with Excel for Mac — what works, what’s different from Windows, and how to handle common Mac-specific issues.
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OfficeConnect runs on Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365 subscription required). The core reporting experience — building reports, refreshing data, and navigating the Reporting pane — works the same as Windows. A few things are different, and a handful of Windows-only features are unavailable. This guide covers what you need to know.

What you’ll need:

  • A Mac running macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
  • Microsoft 365 with Excel for Mac (version 16.54 or later)
  • OfficeConnect deployed by your IT admin, or access to install it from the Microsoft AppSource

1. Install OfficeConnect on Mac

  1. Open Excel for Mac and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
  2. Click the Insert tab in the menu bar, then click Add-ins (or Get Add-ins depending on your Excel version).
  3. In the Office Add-ins dialog, search for OfficeConnect in the Store tab. If your IT admin deployed it centrally, look in the Admin Managed tab instead.
  4. Click Add. After a moment, an OfficeConnect tab appears in the Excel ribbon.

Note: If your organization deploys OfficeConnect via a custom manifest URL, ask your IT admin for the manifest URL and install it via Insert → Add-ins → Upload My Add-in (or the equivalent in your version of Excel for Mac).

2. Sign in

  1. Click the OfficeConnect tab in the ribbon, then click Sign In.
  2. A browser window opens for Workday SSO authentication. Sign in with your Workday credentials. After successful authentication, the browser closes and the Reporting pane opens in Excel.
  3. If the browser doesn’t open automatically, look for a pop-up notification in Excel and click Allow.

3. Build and refresh reports

Building reports on Mac works identically to Windows — drag elements from the Reporting pane, build your header structure, and click Refresh. All core features work:

  • Account, version, time, level, and custom dimension elements
  • Tutorials in the FP&A and Financials sections of this site apply as written
  • Keyboard shortcuts for cell navigation (Tab, Enter, arrow keys) work as expected

4. Mac-specific differences

FeatureWindowsMac
Keyboard shortcut for RefreshConfigurableNot supported — use the ribbon button
Data entry / writebackSupportedSupported
Workbook ProtectionFully supportedFully supported
Cell ExplorerSupportedSupported
Power Automate Desktop automationSupportedNot supported (Power Automate Desktop is Windows-only)

5. Common Mac-specific issues

The OfficeConnect tab doesn’t appear after install: Close and reopen Excel completely. If the tab is still missing, go to Insert → Add-ins and verify OfficeConnect is listed as active. If it shows as inactive, click it to re-enable.

Sign-in browser window is blocked: macOS sometimes blocks the authentication pop-up. Check the Safari pop-up blocker settings or try signing in from a different browser by copying the authentication URL. If your organization uses Workday SSO through an identity provider, confirm the SSO flow supports browser-based authentication from Mac.

Refresh is slower than on Windows: Excel for Mac add-ins run in a sandboxed JavaScript environment, which adds some overhead compared to the COM-based add-in on Windows. Performance is generally acceptable for standard reports; very large workbooks (200+ OfficeConnect formulas) may feel noticeably slower. See Optimize Performance for Large Models for techniques to reduce formula count.

Formulas show #VALUE! after opening a workbook built on Windows: This usually means the workbook was saved in a format that includes Windows-specific metadata. Close and reopen the file, then click Refresh to let OfficeConnect re-resolve the formulas.